Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger (非公認戦隊アキバレンジャー,Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger translated as Unofficial Squadron Akibaranger) is being named the "unofficial installment" of the Super Sentai series. Its theme is based on the Akihabara (AKA "Electric Town") section of Tokyo, Japan. The series started airing in April 6, 2012, but unlike the usual Super Sentai series it will be airing on Tokyo MX and BS Asahi. Another notable difference from usual Super Sentai is that this series is geared towards teenagers and Otaku, while the normal series is geared towards young children and families. Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger Season 2 started airing on April 6, 2013. [1]

Contents

Plot

"A tiny paradise amongst a sea of skyscrapers: Akihabara. There we find three warriors who believe pain is power and who fight battles that exist entirely in their heads. They are...Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger!"

Akibaranger tells the story of three people being part of an otaku club and living in the new "Electric-Town" Akihabara. They have to fight a mysterious malevolent entity that swore to conquer Earth with cool gadgets created by a brilliant genius. However, the Akibarangers' ultimate goal is to become an "official" sentai team.

The Akibaranger's secret base/hideout is a "Sentai Cafe," a Super Sentai version of the popular maid cafes in Japan.

Treasure of the Maid Empire hoax

At Tamashii Nation 2012, the Akibaranger booth were showing multiple posters and advanced ticket gifts for the fake movie, Akibaranger the Movie: Treasure of the Maid Empire.

The Akibaranger staff decided to take a joke from twitter to the next level by making it seem like a movie was being released. Even going as far as making posters, fake tickets and the limited edition ticket gift, AkibaRed Special Color version as pictured below. [4]

Even though this is an unofficial series, it is the first Sentai series in which both the Blue and Yellow Ranger are females.

This is also the first season in which there are more female rangers than there are male rangers.

Nobuo actually points out those two irregularities in the first episode.

This is the first Sentai series to have three kanji preceding the "sentai" kanji, as opposed to the usual one or two, which would later have an official successor in the 39th entry of the Super Sentai Series, Shuriken Sentai Ninninger.

The helmets having "sculpted hair" as opposed to more traditional rounded helmets is similar to the helmets used in Battle Fever J; in particular, the helmet of Battle Japan.

Nobuo refers to the team as "the 37th" Super Sentai. When Hiroyo Hakase points out they are unofficial, he makes it his goal to make the Akibarangers to be recognized as the 37th Super Sentai. Next year, however, with Season Two airing concurrent with the official 37th Sentai Series, the Akibarangers' goal is changed to fixing the history of Super Sentai series which is being constantly tampered with.

Akibaranger is the first Sentai series since Taiyou Sentai Sun Vulcan to feature only three rangers. Though Akibaranger had two replacements for rangers, technically bringing it up to five while Sun Vulcan replaced one ranger, bringing them up to four.

This is currently shorter than any of the official Sentai series, with only 13 episodes. However, a second season has been announced.

This is the first Sentai series to break the fourth wall as a plot point.

The series was originally intended to be a Gokaiger spin-off called Kaizoku-ban Sentai Gokaiger (Pirate Copy Sentai Gokaiger).[5]